Presented by Palace, the 18th Lavazza Italian Film Festival screens nationally in September presenting over 30 of the best films from cinema masters and ground breaking new talent from Italy.

Festival Director Elysia Zeccola said: “The Venice, Rome, Berlin and Cannes film festivals have featured an exciting range of star-studded Italian films in the last 12 months and we are excited to be presenting them on the big screen. The festival is a celebration of Italian cinema, language, culture and la dolce vita and you can’t find that sitting on your couch at home.”

Today, the first 12 titles from the 2017 program have been announced – they include:

FORTUNATAstarring Jasmine Trinca (Wondrous Boccaccio LIFF’15) in a performance that earned her the Best Actress Award in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best Lead Actress Award at this weeks Nastri d’Argento Awards. Sergio Castellitto’s emotionally charged tale of a single mother fighting for her independence will captivate audiences. Also stars Stefano Accorsi (HBO’s The Young Pope).

Box-office smash hit and 2017 Nastri d'Argento Award winner for Best ComedyIT'S THE LAW! (L'ORA LEGALE) from directing duo Salvo Ficarra and Valentino Picone about small town politics in the Sicilian village of Pietrammare where the tainted leadership of a crooked mayor is set to be challenged. The ensemble cast includes Ficarra and Picone alongside Vincenzo Amato, Leo Gullotta, Tony Sperandeo and Antonio Catania.

From the director of Welcome to the South (LIFF ’11) and Welcome to the North (LIFF ’12) Luca Miniero comes the hilarious new comedyMESSY CHRISTMAS (NON C'E PIU RELIGIONE) set on the small island of Porto Buio where the town mayor (Claudio Bisio, What a Beautiful Surprise LIFF ‘15) enlists the help of local Islam convert Bilal (Alessandro Gassman, God Willing LIFF ‘15) to find a child to play baby Jesus in the traditional Christmas nativity scene… but as the island birth rate has been zero for years the only solution may be to change Jesus’ nationality, and even his religion!Directed by Massimo Gaudioso, screenwriter of numerous Italian films such as Tale of Tales (LIFF ’15) and Gomorrah, comesAN ALMOST PERFECT TOWN (UN PAESE QUASI PERFETTO)starring Silvio Orlando (HBO’s The Young Pope, The Human Factor LIFF ‘14). Set in the stunning mountains of the Lucan Dolomites of Southern Italy, this small town is deserted by most of its youth leaving just a small group of ex-miners. But when a new factory is announced, this could be the solution to all the town’s problems.

Directed by Massimo Gaudioso, screenwriter of numerous Italian films such as Tale of Tales (LIFF ’15) and Gomorrah, comesAN ALMOST PERFECT TOWN (UN PAESE QUASI PERFETTO) starring Silvio Orlando (HBO’s The Young Pope, The Human Factor LIFF ‘14). Set in the stunning mountains of the Lucan Dolomites of Southern Italy, this small town is deserted by most of its youth leaving just a small group of ex-miners. But when a new factory is announced, this could be the solution to all the town’s problems.

Winner of the Italian Golden Globe for Best Comedy, Francesco Amato’sLET YOURSELF GO! stars Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty LIFF ’13) as a Jewish psychoanalyst who lives on the same floor as his ex-wife Giovanna. After a minor illness, his doctor prescribes physical activity and at the gym he meets Claudia, a personal trainer who will change his life.

Mirko Frezza plays a hardened ex-con who returns to his working-class Rome suburb in the moving dramaI WAS A DREAMER (IL PIÙ GRANDE SOGNO), directed by Michele Vannucci and starring Alessandro Borghi (Don’t Be Bad LIFF ‘16, Fortunata LIFF ‘17). But the path to redemption is difficult when your father is a criminal and temptation is around every corner.

The feature debut from Simone GodanoWIFE & HUSBAND (MOGLIE E MARITO)is a body-swap comedy starring Pierfrancesco Favino (Suburra) and Kasia Smutniak (Perfect Strangers LIFF ‘16) as Andrea and Sofia. After ten years of marriage they are on the verge of divorce but when a scientific experiment leaves their bodies seemingly irreversibly swapped, they have no choice but to live each other’s lives... and they are in for some surprises.

Benedict Cumberbatch narrates the fascinating documentaryNAPLES ’44 (NAPOLI ’44) adapted from British Intelligence Officer Norman Lewis’s memoir. Lewis entered war-torn Naples with the American Fifth Army in 1943 at the end of WWII observing the complex social cauldron of a city that contrived every day the most incredible ways of fighting to survive. This is a powerful condemnation of the horrors of war.

Giuseppe Piccioni’s THESE DAYS (QUESTI GIORNI), follows four young women on a road trip to Belgrade in an adventure which will mark a turning point in their lives. Featuring Margherita Buy (Me, Myself & Her LIFF ‘16) alongside Filippo Timi (Vincere LIFF ‘09) and Sergio Rubini (Mafia & Red Tomatoes LIFF ‘15).

InSUMMERTIME (L'ESTATE ADDOSSO)by director Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness), a gay couple living in San Francisco take in two teens traveling from Italy to start a new life in America. The four become fast friends and embark on enthusiastic explorations of love, life, and themselves, trying to discover and define who they are during a summer they’ll never forget.

Director Lisa Azuelos confirms her status as a strong director of actors, with Italian model-turned-actress Sveva Alviti, stealing the show in every scene ofDALIDA. Based on the true story of acclaimed music icon "Dalida" who gained celebrity in the 50s, singing in Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew and German - she had a repertoire of hits as vast and varied as her private life was tumultuous and tragic. Also starring Italian heartthrob Riccardo Scamarcio (Wondrous Boccaccio LIFF ‘15) as her brother Orlando.

Available for school bookings is FROM NAPLES WITH LOVE (TROPPO NAPOLETANO) a joyous romantic comedy about Ciro, an 11-year old kid who falls head-over-heels for a new girl at school and loses his once healthy appetite causing his panicked mother Barbara (singer Serena Rossi) to take him to a child psychologist!